Volunteers are vital to the work of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and its hunger-relief efforts. An excellent example is easily seen in the individuals who help operate the Community Harvest program. This dedicated group of 15, spends 32 hours each week on the road collecting prepared and perishable food from food donors and delivering it directly to people who need it most – all within hours. It’s because of this group that Community Harvest impacts our community.
Meet Christian. Christian, 29, began looking for a way to give back to his community last summer. He began volunteering with
Community Harvest as a driver’s buddy.
Every Thursday, Christian helps load and unload collected food items during his 5-hour shift. They pick up donated food from a dozen locations, then drop it off at hunger-relief partners within the Foodbank’s network.
“If I didn’t have that route on Thursdays, I wouldn’t see the hunger in my community. It’s made me aware of what’s going on, you see the problem and you see the need for these people,” explained Christian.
Christian wishes more people realized hunger is evident in Stark County, believing that most are unaware of the magnitude of the issue. “Food is a vital part of living. This is an easy problem to tackle because food is available, otherwise it’s thrown out.”